Death Toll Increases as Fulani Herdsmen Murder Christians in Nigeria

World Watch Monitor reports Fulani herdsmen have destroyed more than 20 churches during attacks on communities in Benue State, Nigeria. The death toll has now surpassed 150 following last weeks’ vicious attacks on Christian villages in Nigeria. During 2014 violent assaults on Christians in Nigeria’s northern and central states has dramatically increased.

According to International Christian Concern Christians are attacked almost weekly. Fulani herdsman, who are mostly Muslim, and the extremist group Boko Haram are at the forefront of perpetrating these attacks on Christians.

"The inability of the government and military to provide protection for Christians is inexcusable, said Todd Daniels, Regional Manager for ICC. “While certainly there are challenges, the military needs to devote substantial resources to seeing this process brought to an end. There has even been speculation of various government officials being involved in supporting various groups as a means of gaining political leverage. These sorts of acts raise serious questions concerning both the integrity and the aptitude of the Nigerian politicians. The result has been that Christians have been left vulnerable to repeated, systematic acts of violence throughout the country."

Benue State is 95 percent Christian, and the remaining mostly Muslim.

Yiman Orkwar, chairman of the Benue branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria, also told World Watch Monitor the government has shown little concern about the attacks.

"It is a two-prong attack to take over our land and convert the people left in these places to Islam, but we resist," he said. "They have been killing everybody they find in the villages. They butcher women, children and others. What they are doing is barbaric and very similar to the attacks by the Boko Haram terrorists."